This invention relates to an open/close body control equipment and method capable of operating an open/close body (e.g., slidable door or sunroof of a vehicle) so as to open or close the open/close body relative to a fixed member, and more particularly, to the speed control of the open/close body during the operation of the open/close body.
Recently, with respect to vehicles of the one-box type or the like, a slide door (i.e., an open/close body) is mounted on a rear portion of the vehicle and the vehicle adopts an electrically operating slide (a power slide equipment) which automatically opens or closes the slide door when a driver manipulates a manipulation switch mounted in the vicinity of a driver""s seat. Such an electrically operated slide-door is disclosed, for example, on pages 53-62 of a manual 4 on a New Gramvia (published by Toyota Jidosha Ltd. on August, 1995).
This electrically operated slide door is constructed such that upon manipulation of a switch at the driver""s seat, the slide door is electrically driven to become fully opened or fully closed. In the power transmission system between a motor which drives the slide door and the slide door itself, a clutch mechanism is interposed and in case a clutch incorporated in the clutch mechanism is turned off (disengaged), the slide door becomes manually operable, while in case the clutch is turned on (engaged), the slide door can be automatically driven by the motor.
In case such a slide door is forcefully opened or closed during manual manipulation in an opening or closing direction, the door speed reaches the high speed at the fully opened position or at the fully closed position so that it gives rise to a large manipulation sound when the slide door reaches the fully opened or closed condition and hence, the feeling of high quality is deteriorated.
Furthermore, in case the vehicle having the slide door is stopped on a descending slope for allowing a passenger to get on or off the vehicle, he has to grasp a handle of the slide door and carry out an opening/closing operation by the manual manipulation. In the midst of the closing operation from the fully opened position to the fully closed position, when the passenger becomes careless as his attention is focused on other things and removes his hand from the handle, the slide door starts its closing operation in a closing direction due to the deadweight thereof and hence, an accident that the passenger is pinched due to the gravitational slide movement of the slide door may occur.
In such a case, when the door speed is restricted by merely applying a continuous braking force to the movement of the slide door, the operability of the manual manipulation is worsened.
The present invention is made in view of the abovementioned problems and it is a primary technical task of the present invention to enhance the safety in operating an open/close body by the manual operation. It is a second technical task of the present invention to prevent the occurrence of a large sound at the time that the open/close body reaches the fully opened condition or the fully closed condition. Furthermore, it is a third technical task of the present invention to operate the open/close body with an improved operability.
To solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, in an open/close body control equipment which operates an open/close body relative to a fixed member so as to carry out an open/close operation by means of the open/close body, the equipment includes a brake mechanism which restricts the moving speed in the midst of the operation of the open/close body. An open/close body moving condition detecting means detects at least one of: the moving direction, the moving position and the moving speed while the open/close body is being moved, and the brake mechanism is operated in response to information from the detecting means.
Due to such a mechanism, at least one of: the moving direction of the open/close body, the moving position (position of the open/close body) and the speed of the open/close body is detected by the open/close body moving condition detecting means, and the brake mechanism is operated in response to information from the open/close body moving condition detecting means. Hence, a brake can be operated by means of the brake mechanism in response to the moving direction, the moving position, and/or the moving speed of the open/close body, and the operation of the open/close body can be restricted by the brake mechanism in response to the moving condition of the open/close body. For example, even in case the open/close body is forcefully manipulated manually, the speed of the open/close body is decreased due to the restriction of the brake mechanism and hence, the security is assured. Furthermore, the speed of the open/close body is suppressed when the open/close body reaches the fully open condition or the fully closed condition so that the manipulation sound at that moment can be suppressed more effectively than the conventional equipment, and the deterioration of the feeling which occurs with the conventional equipment no more occurs.
Here, in case the open/close body speed threshold value which corresponds to the moving position of the open/close body is set, and the brake mechanism is controlled based on the comparison between the information of the open/close body speed and the open/close body speed threshold value, by setting the proper speed threshold value corresponding to the moving position of the open/close body, the open/close body can be operated at the proper speed by operating the brake mechanism such that the open/close body assumes a given speed at that position during operation of the open/close body.
Furthermore, by making the speed threshold value of the open/close body assume a small value at the point of reaching the fully opened condition in case of moving the open/close body in an opening direction, or at he point of reaching the fully closed position in case of moving the open/close body in a closing direction, the speed can be sufficiently restricted at the fully opened position or the fully closed position so that safety is assured and the manipulation sound can be attenuated.
Still furthermore, in case of starting the operation of the open/close body, by making the speed threshold value of the open/close body assume a large value at the time of opening or closing the open/close body, it becomes possible to prevent the operability of the open/close body at the initial stage of the operation after starting from becoming worse.
In addition, in case the brake mechanism is operated under a duty control, a more precise control becomes possible due to such a duty control.